EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Study Scope and Purpose

In January of 2020, the Town of retained MacNaughton Hermsen Britton Clarkson Planning Limited (MHBC) and WSP, to undertake a scoped review and update to the Glen Williams Secondary Plan. The Scoped Secondary Plan Review is being undertaken to ensure the Plan that was adopted in 2007 is reflective of current policies at the Provincial, Regional and Local level and addresses recent development and community concerns.

Hamlet of Glen Williams Scoped Secondary Plan Review Background Report 1 The Background and Key Findings Report includes the following:

• A review and analysis of the existing policy and regulatory framework applicable to the Secondary Plan at the Provincial, Regional and Local level;

• Input from the community and stakeholders, identifying the issues and concerns within the hamlet;

• An identification of the changes occurring within the area and an understanding of the factors influencing such change;

• A summary of cultural heritage, urban design, parklands, trails and open space resources and opportunities;

• A technical review of transportation, stormwater and the natural heritage and environmental system; and,

• A summary of the key findings as well as potential areas where updates and revisions to the Secondary Plan are warranted.

History of Glen Williams

The Glen has a rich history since it was first settled by Benajah Williams in 1825, much of which is central to its original mills and industries centered around the . Glen Williams has been shaped and formed over time since its initial phase of development around a main node located at the centre of the Hamlet, near the intersection of Main Street and Prince Street. The most recently developed areas include clusters of subdivisions in three main areas along Bishop Court, Barraclough Boulevard, and McMaster Street.

Legend Figure 3: DATE: May 2020 Historical Phases of Subject Lands SCALE: 1:15,000 Development north

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Hamlet of Glen Williams Town of Halton Hills Sources: - Some Data was provided by The Corporation of the Town of Halton Hills and Halton Region the Town assumes no responsibility or liability for its use or accuracy

Legend Figure 3: DATE: May 2020 Historical Phases of Subject Lands SCALE: 1:15,000 2 Development north

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Hamlet of Glen Williams Town of Halton Hills Sources: - Some Data was provided by The Corporation of the Town of Halton Hills and Halton Region the Town assumes no responsibility or liability for its use or accuracy Physical Context Glen Williams is bound by significant environmental and topographical features, with the to the north and west and is surrounded by the Protected Countryside of the Greenbelt Plan area to the north, east and west. The Credit River traverses the Hamlet from the northwest to the south. Glen Williams has a variety of natural amenities, including multiple open space and park areas adjacent to the Credit River. Glen Williams is served by multiple community services and facilities including the Glen Williams Town Hall, Glen Williams Public School, Glen Williams Park and Ball Field, Glen Williams Cenotaph, St. John’s United Church, St. Alban the Martyr Anglican Church, and the Glen Williams Cemetery.

Ninth Line Figure 4: Broader Context Plan

Hamlet of Glen Williams Town of Halton Hills Halton Region

Legend Eighth Line Subject Lands 22 Sr Parks Railway Georgetown GO Station

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Sheridan Tenth Line

Confederation St Nurseries Head Office

Main St

20 Sr Prince St

Wildwood Rd Glen Williams Park

Highway 7

Main St N

Georgetown Mountainview Rd N Rd Mountainview Golf Club Sources: - Google Satellite Imagery GEORGETOWN - Some Data was provided by The Corporation of the Town of Halton Hills and the Town assumes no responsibility or liability for its use or accuracy

DATE: May 12, 2020

SCALE: 1:15,000 north Guelph St FILE: 07135L

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Hamlet of Glen Williams Scoped Secondary Plan Review Background Report 3 What Policies and Regulations Apply to Glen Williams? A review of the regulatory and policy framework applicable to planning and development in Glen Williams was conducted as part of the background review. The key policies and regulations are as follows:

PLACES PROVINCIAL PLANNING GREENBELT TO GROW STATUTES ACT ACT ACT

Establishes the legislative framework This Act is the foundation of This Act is the foundation of for policies and regulations. 0 ’s Growth Plans. 0 Ontario’s Greenbelt Plans.

PROVINCIAL PROVINCIAL A PLACE TO GREENBELT POLICIES POLICY GROW (GROWTH PLAN STATEMENT, 2020 PLAN) 2019 2017

Sets out Provincial direction Provides policies for the Greater Golden Provides policies to protect for land use and development Horseshoe area focused on directing growth natural areas and landforms including policies to support to settlement areas that have a delineated including the Oak Ridges housing and protect the built boundary, with existing or planned Moraine and the Niagara environment. municipal water and wastewater systems, and Escarpment. The Hamlet of that can support the achievement of complete Glen Williams is surrounded communities. Within the Growth Plan, Glen by the Greenbelt Plan Williams is a Hamlet, which is considered a boundary to the north, east rural settlement area. and west.

UPPER-TIER MUNICIPALITY The upper tier Regional Official Plan provides for policies for land use and identifies Glen Williams as a REGION OF HALTON OFFICIAL PLAN, designated Hamlet with areas designated as part of OFFICE CONSOLIDATION 2018 the Regional Natural Heritage System. OFFICIAL PLANS LOWER-TIER MUNICIPALITY The Local Official Plan also designates the Glen as a Hamlet and identifies areas that are part of the natural TOWN OF HALTON HILLS heritage system. OFFICIAL PLAN, 2017

The current Secondary Plan for the Hamlet of Glen IN-EFFECT HAMLET OF GLEN Williams was adopted by Town Council in 2003, approved by the Region of Halton on July 29, 2005 and ultimately WILLIAMS SECONDARY PLAN, 2007 came into full force and effect in 2007, following a decision by the Ontario Municipal Board. It was recently amended following the Mature Neighbourhood Study in 2019 with additional policies to protect the character of the older residential neighbourhoods.

INTERIM MINISTER’S SUBDIVISION ZONING SITE DEVELOPMENT CONTROL ZONING LAND USE CONTROL BY-LAW PLAN PERMIT CONTROL BY-LAW ORDER SYSTEM PLAN OF HOLDING INCREASED INSTRUMENTS CONSENTS SUBDIVISION BY-LAW DENSITY/HEIGHT

4 What Have we Heard so far? To commence the initial background review phase, preliminary engagement was conducted to seek feedback from the community on the nine key topic areas which resulted in feedback summarized as follows:

• Promote Glen Williams heritage as a cultural attraction. • Ensure heritage recognition of some properties and consider review of the Community Core as a heritage area. • Consider guidelines for new development to fit with the character of the area.

• Ensure as many residents as possible can be served by existing services. • Ensure services minimize disruption to the natural heritage system.

• Protect the existing design character of the area, specifically the landscape and architectural styling of the area gives it a strong sense of place. • Further expand upon the design character of the area with new development applications.

• Protect existing natural features and try to retain natural areas in public ownership. • Consider measures to ensure new development respects the natural environment.

• Glen Williams has grown from a mostly autonomous hamlet to a suburban oasis, a significant part of which is because of the mixed private and small scale commercial entities preserved within the boundaries. • Policy should be included on maximum permitted density, minimum lot standards and urban design criteria for the residential areas inside and outside of the Core Area. • Policy promoting and incentivising commercial within the Core Area is necessary to serve local community.

Hamlet of Glen Williams Scoped Secondary Plan Review Background Report 5 • Open space and parks are an essential component of a balanced lifestyle. New developments should include an open space component within them. • Consider naturalized trails rather than designed and maintained parks and open spaces. • Improve access and connectivity to the Credit River. There are only a few accessible access points and they are not connected.

• Consider no further expansion of the Hamlet. • Ensure new development considers means of active transportation. • Policy should be included on maximum permitted density, minimum lot standards and urban design criteria for the residential areas inside and outside of the Core Area and within defined infill lots to preserve and maintain character of communities.

• Maintaining the current level of forest canopy and eliminating discharges into the river is necessary to respect the natural environment. • Ensure new development respects habitat and the natural environment.

• Consider speeds and traffic issues through Hamlet. • Consider parking issues in Community Core. • Consider safety issues for pedestrians around Glen Williams Public School. • Consider opportunities for active transportation.

9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6

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PARKS TRAILS & PARKS

NATURAL HERITAGE NATURAL

SUSTAINABILITY

URBAN DESIGN URBAN

LAND USE LAND

GROWTH MGMT. GROWTH

SERVICING & SWM & SERVICING

TRANSPORTATION CULTURAL HERITAGE CULTURAL PUBLIC FEEDBACK (# of comments)

6 Key Findings and Areas for Further Consideration As a result of the community feedback and the review of the regulatory policy framework and ongoing studies by the Town, key findings and further areas for consideration are summarized as follows:

KEY FINDINGS: • There are currently 8 properties designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in Glen Williams and 37 properties listed on the Heritage Register.

AREAS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION: • Provide a clear character statement for Glen Williams, providing a list of attributes that contribute to its character while appreciating existing policy related to architectural styles and properties which are already listed and designated on the Town of Halton Hills Heritage Register; • Explore options related to tools for the conservation of cultural heritage resources under the Planning Act, rather than the Ontario Heritage Act; • Determine whether or not there is merit in exploring other tools regarding the conservation of cultural heritage resources, such as Zoning By-laws, Tree By-laws, and Municipal initiatives, such as those geared towards Commemoration, Interpretation, Public Art, etc. • Explore the merits of identifying the Hamlet of Glen Williams, or specific areas as a character area in the Secondary Plan; • Determine whether this larger character area includes any smaller, individual Cultural Heritage Landscapes which require a different set of policies under the Planning Act; • Draft additional policies in the Secondary Plan specifically related to the conservation of cultural heritage resources identified in the character statement; • Continue the identification and protection of individual properties of cultural heritage value or interest through listing on the Town’s Heritage Register or designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act; and, • Further consider best practices for urban design in the creation of new Urban Design Guidelines through consultation with the public, using the Bolton HCD Plan as a guiding resource.

Hamlet of Glen Williams Scoped Secondary Plan Review Background Report 7 KEY FINDINGS: • Current servicing is provided by a combination of private, partial and full municipal services. Municipal services provided through 3 municipal wells. • Glen Williams is connected to the Georgetown Wastewater Treatment Plant. • Stormwater management is provided through a variety of approaches and in accordance to the Town of Halton Hills Stormwater Management Policy (2009) and with the CVC Stormwater Management Criteria (2012).

AREAS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION: • The Glen Williams Secondary Plan must follow the directions established in the Scoped Subwatershed Study and consider recommendations to propose a stormwater management strategy that minimizes the need for on-site and downstream remedial work and to minimize impacts to wetlands, fish and fish habitat. • Monitor CVC review of floodplain mapping and consider update to floodplain limits within the Secondary Plan when made available in the future. • Update policy framework as required to address developments that have been approved on partial services, while maintaining that all future development should be serviced by full municipal services.

KEY FINDINGS: • The current urban design guidelines for the Glen include direction for urban design and heritage protection.

AREAS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION: • Consideration should be given to policies that would strengthen the Town’s ability to implement the Hamlet guidelines. • New policies and/or guidelines related to Cultural Heritage should be prepared. • Additional policies and guidelines should be prepared to address policy gaps in areas such as sustainability and sustainable design practices and accessibility and barrier free design. • As part of the Design Review for subdivisions, further clarity should be provided as it relates to houses at focal locations and a plan should be required identifying any and all ‘focal locations’. • Provide further clarity as it relates to building materials. • Consider Practicality of Implementing Landscape Guidelines. • Provide Further Clarity as it Relates to Gateways. • Incorporate Findings of On-going Studies.

8 KEY FINDINGS: • Glen Williams is traversed by the Credit River and other natural features. The Credit River has a history of flooding. Floodplains are currently regulated by the CVC through O.Reg 160/06. • NHS features and mapping are currently provided through Provincial, Regional, Local and CVC policies and regulations.

AREAS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION: • Update terminology in Secondary Plan to be consistent with the local, regional and provincial policy documents. • Ensure all designations and terminologies identified on mapping are defined or described and consistent with the Secondary Plan text. • General setback guidelines as currently described in the Secondary Plan are outdated and should be updated to reflect Provincial, Regional and Town policies and current conservation authority guidelines. • Natural heritage features identified in the CVC mapping should be considered for inclusion as protected features under the Secondary Plan, where appropriate, to address community feedback of protecting woodlands and meadows. • Future development shall be planned in accordance with the updated Secondary Plan schedules and policies delineating the natural heritage features.

KEY FINDINGS: • Some existing land uses do not align with land use designations and zoning. • Some designation boundaries may need to be refined.

AREAS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION: • The existing land use framework of the Glen William Secondary Plan will need to be updated in the context of the current Provincial, Regional and Town policy framework to identify gaps and ensure conformity. • The existing objectives of the Glen Williams Secondary Plan will need to be reviewed and analyzed to determine if they are still reflective of the current vision, or require updating. • Consider the policy framework with regards to maximum permitted density, minimum lot standards and urban design criteria for the residential areas to ensure that future development conforms to the existing character of the Hamlet.

Hamlet of Glen Williams Scoped Secondary Plan Review Background Report 9 KEY FINDINGS: • The Glen is served by a number of parks, open spaces and trails. • The Town’s recent Active Transportation Master Plan provides direction for cycling paths and trails.

AREAS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION: • Explore opportunities for additional public open space including trails and public parkland through the review of development applications and add policies to reinforce this recommendation. • Consider new design guidelines related to park and trail design, as well as private amenity space. • Consider updates to the Official Plan and/or Secondary Plan following completion of the Town of Halton Hills Active Transportation Plan. • Continue monitoring regulations related to the Community Benefits Charge, and prepare revised Secondary Plan policies accordingly.

KEY FINDINGS: • A total of 99 new lots have been created since 2007 through Plan of Subdivision applications. This includes 91 lots created and built as part of the intercorp Meadows in the Glen application and 8 lots created and built as part of the Georgetown Investments application. In 2007, there were 19 lots that were vacant which has since been increased to 23 lots in 2020 (10 parcels subject to development applications). • The population in the Glen has grown by 338 people since 2007. Current population is approximately 1,763 people.

AREAS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION: • Current and future growth needs to be addressed in updated policies to identify the amount of forecasted population servicing capacity and how future growth is to be accommodated. • The areas where private or partial services exist will need to be carefully reviewed to ensure that they are sustainable in the future and that the Secondary Plan policies identify and reinforce Provincial and Regional policies related to servicing. Applications for future development will be required to be on full municipal services and will be required to address capacity for water and wastewater services as applicable. • Areas where lands containing existing development on partial services that can be converted to full services should be explored.

10 KEY FINDINGS: • The Town has a number of sustainability policies and programs in place including Green Development Standards, a Climate Change Adaption Plan, a Community Sustainability Strategy and Energy Plan as well as a Corporate Energy Plan.

AREAS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION: • Update the Secondary Plan policy framework to align with Provincial, Regional and Town policies relating to Sustainability. • Update the Secondary Plan policy framework to make reference to recent plans and strategies by the Town that should be referred to for guidance on the Town’s position on sustainable growth and development. • Consider new Guidelines to implement best practices measures for sustainable initiatives in parks and open space design, stormwater management and site design.

KEY FINDINGS: • A current road network consists of Confederation Street which is a minor arterial road that runs through the Glen. Three collector roads: Main Street, Prince Street and Wildwood Road also serve the area as a local street network. • Prince Street is currently under reconstruction. • Parking is provided in dedicated lots, driveways with some on-street parking. The Halton Hills Parking Study will help inform future policies and practices around parking. • Trails are provided through the many natural and open space areas along the Credit River. • The Town has implemented many traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures in the Hamlet as a result of 2009 Traffic Study and as documented in the update to Council in July 2020.

AREAS FOR FURTHER REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION: • Further explore issues surrounding Glen Williams Public School through consultation with the Town, school and the public. • Further review ongoing studies as they become available, and incorporate any recommendations in the Secondary Plan Review, including the following: • The Active Transportation Master Plan which is currently developing an implementation strategy; • The Transit Service Strategy which is currently in the implementation phase; and • The Halton Hills Parking Study which is currently in the engagement phase collecting information from residents regarding parking demand, supply and enforcement.

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